Raza Rabbani condemns govt for allowing foreign airline for domestic operation

Islamabad: Mian Raza Rabbani, Former Chairman Senate, said Tuesday that not satisfied with the colonization and surrender of sovereignty to the IMF and other international donors the government, wants to grant domestic flying rights to a foreign career.

“This act is condemned. It is alleged that a national airline has worked out a agreement with a foreign career namely, Air Arabia, under which Air Arabia will be able to operate domestic flights in Pakistan,” he said.

Pakistan shall be perhaps the first country in the world to allow a foreign career to operate on its domestic routes. This will also raise a question of breach of national security, as there are certain air corridors which are reserved for the Armed Forces and very rarely used by PIA.

The introduction of the foreign career will adversely affect the domestic routes of PIA, which is also suffering because its traffic to Saudi Arabia and the Middle East has been compromised to foreign careers.

He said domestic airlines such as Serene Air, Air Sial and others in the process of being granted or having being granted licenses will also suffer adversely.

A deeper investigation into the hands behind such a move will perhaps reveal the crony capitalists behind it. This amounts to deliberately inflicting heavy losses Pakistani business at the hands of foreign companies.

The Senate Standing Committee on Aviation should immediately call a meeting on this issue and make its recommendations.